Engaged Learning

Search this site

Search

Office of the University Registrar

Veteran Benefits

Military Calculator: To decide which Veteran benefit will be the best one for you to use for earning your degree at CSU, go to military.com. On their home page go to GI Bill at the top, then you will need to set up an account. The GI Bill Calculator will be located in the quick links on the left side of their page. You put in your information and you can see which option works the best for you.

How to Apply: All veteran students who wish to receive educational benefits under the GI Bill program must complete a Veterans' Administration Benefits Application Form. To apply, please access the following web site: www.gibill.va.gov and link onto Education Benefits Programs and Education Forms located in the left column of the VA homepage. Also, see Cleveland State University's FAQ for VA Benefits. Apply for benefits as early as possible to avoid a delay in receiving your checks.
Printout a copy of the online form and submit it to the VA Benefits Office.

Certification Process: The VA Certifying Official will certify a student’s enrollment to the Veterans’ Administration (VA) for each semester. You are NOT required to provide enrollment information.

Award Letter: All applicants will receive an award letter or Certificate of Eligibility (in approximately ten weeks) from the Veterans’ Administration, which will give you valuable information such as your remaining entitlement, the current school year dates, and your monthly rate of disbursement

Check Disbursement: GI Bill checks are received once a month for the previous month. Therefore, the check you receive in October is for the month of September, etc. All Veterans except dependents must self-verify their attendence after the last calendar day of each month either by telephone or on-line self-verification before payment is issued. Enrollment Self-Verification may be accomplished by calling 1-877-823-2378 or on-line at www.gibill.va.gov/wave.

Repeats and Audits: If you are planning to repeat a course for which you already received VA educational benefits, there is a possibility that you may not receive payment for that course a second time. Repeating a course to raise your grade point average is not covered by the VA and will not result in payment. Please be aware that the VA will pay for the repetition of a course only if you received an "F" in the initial course, or you did not meet the minimum grade requirement for the course when taken in your approved program. Also, payment cannot be made for any courses taken or changed to an "Audit" (No-Credit) basis. Changing a course to audit (no-credit) during a semester will be treated by the VA as a course drop with a request for mitigating circumstances.

Work Study Jobs: You may be eligible for an additional allowance under a work-study program. Under the work-study program, you work for VA and receive an hourly wage. You may accomplish outreach work under the supervision of a VA employee, prepare and process VA paperwork, work at a VA medical facility, or other approved activities.

You must enroll at the three-quarter or full-time rate. The maximum number of hours you may work is 25 times the number of weeks in your enrollment period. Payments will be at the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is greater. To apply, complete VA Form 22-8691, Application for Work Study Allowance. See web link: Where Can You Get Other VA Forms? Send the completed form to: VA Regional Office, P.O. Box 4616, Buffalo, NY 14240-4616.

Financial Aid: Many veteran students think they are not eligible for financial aid if they are claiming their GI Bill benefits. The fact is, over 80 percent all veterans are eligible for some form of financial aid. The average veteran may still be eligible for federal and state grant funds. Low interest loans are also available. We strongly urge you to take advantage of this offer and fill out a financial aid application. Contact the Financial Aid Office at (216) 687-3764 or apply online.

Academic Progress: All students receiving VA educational benefits are required to maintain academic progress according to published standards established and enforced by the C.S.U. Those students who receive an academic dismissal at Cleveland State University will have their VA benefits terminated. The VA Certifying Official will discontinue certification of enrollment and will inform the VA of their termination date. Students have the right to appeal their academic drop with the VA. The VA determines whether or not payment will be terminated and the conditions for reinstatement.